Back Alley King
by BlackShadowScythe
Summary: Scourge is the undisputed and unquestioned leader of BloodClan. He is taking a stroll through his favorite pit of territory when he happens upon an old, blind she-cat. It's Quince...


After moons of living in the alley's infested crevices, Scourge had gotten used to its rancid flavor. But even now, on rainy afternoons, he still found himself repulsed by its putrid stank. He lived underneath one of the better disposal bins, beside what the twolegs called a "restaurant". The bins were emptied every other morning just before sunrise and filled again throughout the day, so nothing ever got too smelly.

Unfortunately, being the king of a bunch of street scraps meant he had duties to preform. Mostly supervisory, but it still took time away from the peace and bounty he otherwise enjoyed.

"The west end strays are causing a ruckus over a newly abandoned house," Bone reported. "There are mice starting to populate, it seems."

"Bring Coal and Beast to me," Scourge directed, "We'll have them fight it out. The winner can have the house, and will be required pay two mice a week tribute to me, or forfeit their claim."

"I shall get an underling to deliver the news," Bone nodded.

They continued their trek through town, watching the strays tug at scraps of prey, and lap up muddle water from puddles. Bone continued his report on the recent going-ons he had, had  
brought to his attention. Scourge half listened, and half

focused on blocking the sewer smell from his senses.

He licked his lips as they came to one of his favorite bins, behind the house of twolegs who had three kits. A wasteful, grabby lot, luckily for him.

As he and Bone approached the house, they spotted a gray tabby with a tooth collar leap over the fence ahead of them. No matter. He'd relinquish claim soon enough.

Scourge padded after the tabby, passing through a hole underneath the fence. He wouldn't ever admit it, but he doubted he could make the jump.

"Please I was only passing through! I didn't know any other cat lived here!" a voice begged.

Scourge eyes narrowed, and he came to a halt, mid-step. There was something about the voice that made him hesitate, though he couldn't decipher the reason. He sensed Bone stop beside him.

Not wanting to make a fool of himself he charged forward, through the driveway, and towards the back of the house, where bins were kept.

"You should've known better than to set paw in BloodClan territory, old hag," he heard the tabby boast.

Cowering at his paws was an old, solid gray she-cat, who's ribs were visible underneath her matted pelt. Scourge walked up to the pair, wrapping his tail neat around his paws as he sat, head held high, Bone placed imposingly behind him.

"Scourge!" the tabby cried. "I was just getting breakfast. I didn't know you'd come here. If I did I would have stayed clear!"

Oh the irony! It was almost enough to amuse him if it weren't so sad.

"Leave now, and just this once I shall overlook your mistake," he replied with a snort.

"R-right away," he stammered, bolting from the driveway, his tail between his legs.

"Is he gone?" the she-cat asked, her voice still trembling.

"Yes," Scourge replied as Bone charged into the bin, knocking it over. He stepped away and sat quietly to the side, allowing his leader to take what he wanted from the pile.

Scourge dug through his prize, lighting up as he came across a leg of chicken. He peeled off the bit of meat that remained and swallowed, tossing the remains of a fish Bone's way.

"Enjoy your bony crap," Scourge muttered, as Bone dipped his head at the offering.

"Thank you for saving me," the she-cat said, as she attempted to clean her fur. Scourge sniffed.

"You're still here?" he grumbled. "Well, don't thank me yet, you'll probably starve to death in a couple days if one of the others around here don't kill you first."

"Your voice, it's so familiar," she murmured. "Have we met before?"

Voice? Scourge wrinkled his noise. Were there more fish? "I don't know, you tell me," he muttered in reply to the she-cat.

He pulled out a long, half eaten sausage. He could never decide which animal those came from, but they were good. Just as he prepared to bite down into it, he spotted the she-cat creeping up to the side of his vision. He scowled.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled, slamming his paw down in front of her muzzle just as she reached for his meal.

She looked up at him, and Scourge's eyes widened in shock as he realized who she was. Her pelt lacked grooming, but her scent behind the aroma of filth was unmistakable.

"Quince," he breathed.  
"How do you know me?" she asked.

"Don't you—" he started. His mother's once bright blue eyes were dull with blindness.

His gaze shifted to Bone, but his deputy was still picking at the spiny fish he'd given him. Scourge sniffed again. Maybe he was starting to come down with something. He was the leader of BloodClan, he answered to no one and his authority was unquestioned.

He took a bite of the sausage before tossing the rest to his mother. Quince sniffed it for a moment before taking a bite.

"Come with me when you're finished," he muttered. "You can follow my scent can't you?"

Quince nodded. "I think so."  
"Good."  
Having finished his breakfast, Bone finally looked up. "We're going back to the restaurant," Scourge announced. "What about her?" Bone asked, licking his claws.

"We're taking her with us," he declared. "Let's go." Scourge starting heading back up the driveway, but came to a stop as Bone spoke again.

"Why?" he muttered, disinterested. "She's of no use to us. Why not just finish her now?"

Scourge felt Quince's pelt trembling beside his. Annoyed, he nudged her away and turned to face his second in command.

"She is of use to me," he growled, careful to keep his eyes calm and fur flat. Bone dipped his head.

"Of course," he replied. "Apologizes for my ignorance."

Satisfied, Scourge took the lead, with Quince following close behind and Bone bring up the rear. They soon returned to dumpster behind the restaurant where Scourge dismissed his bodyguard.

Once Bone had left, he slid underneath the dumpster, and shoved a bowl of house cat pellets towards Quince.

"The Twolegs here leave a couple lying around," he muttered. "Help yourself. I could never stomach much of it." He rested his head on the concrete and twitched his whiskers in thought.

Quince placed her paw in the bowl, staring into space for a long moment before speaking. "That cat earlier seemed afraid of you."

"I am his King," Scourge replied, as I am for all the cats here. "It is a matter of respect that he fear me."

"How did you know to give me this?" she asked. "I never mentioned being a house cat."

"Who said you were?" Scourge snapped. "I just gave you the stuff I hate."

"Then why did you tell me to help myself?" she murmured. Scourge was silent for a long moment.

"Eat and be on your way," he muttered. "My charity isn't a permanent residence invitation."

"Of course," she replied, quickly. "I wouldn't think of imposing..." she trailed off before continuing. "It's just that I'm almost sure I know you."

"You're mistaken," Scourge replied, coldly. "We've never met." He stared at her silently, wondering when, or even if, he should tell her.

Just then, his attentions were diverted by a chestnut colored tom padding hesitantly down the alley towards him. Scourge yawned as he reached for a bone left over from the night before. He picked at the meat left over as the brown tom twitched his whiskers nervously.

"Speak," Scourge muttered, one of his claws pinching a fly that had landed beside him.

The tom shifted his paws and stared at the ground in front of him, silently.

"Speak!" Scourge repeated. "I don't have all day to deal with your stupid problems."

"Yes, Scourge," the tom dipped his head. Another pause. "I know there's a rule about mates caring for their kits," he started. "But my youngest is special. He's a bright tom, but he can only see on one side. His mother is working with him, if we could only have—"

"How old is he?"

"F-five moons," he stammered. Scourge stared at the tom in thought for a moment.

"You and Carrot got together at the start of newleaf, yes?" he said finally.

"No, we—"

"Your kits are a lot older than five moons," Scourge remarked. There was a dangerous edge to his voice as he narrowed his eyes. "The rules exist for a reason. And that reason is not so they can be broken."

"Please! I didn't mean to—"

"And though there is a rule about she-cats caring for kits, I don't recall the same privilege being extended to toms."

"It's leaf-bare!" the tom begged. "They would've all freeze to death if I'd had left them alone!"

"That's none of my concern," Scourge replied. "You have lived with BloodClan long enough to know how we deal with rule breakers, Almond."

"NO!" Almond shouted. "Please! Carrot needs me! And Bear—"

"Would have died anyways," Scourge yawned as Bone charged back into the alley, pinning the chestnut tom down and dragging him towards a sewer grating. "Shame to waste such a powerful name on such a worthless kit."

He watched as Bone removed the loose bars to the sewers and tossed the tom inside, head first. After replacing the bar's, the BloodClan deputy placed his full weight upon the grating, trapping his victim in the murky waters within.

Scourge listened to the tom's gargled screams slowly die as his lungs filled with water.

"Those who aren't wanted, are thrown in the river," he recited walking up to the grating, dismissing Bone with a wave of his tail. "Didn't you know that?"

"What did you do to him?!" Quince screamed, her body visible trembling. Despite this, she managed to somehow get to her feet.

Scourge expected her to run off, but instead she took several steps towards him, stopping only when her muzzle was less than a mouse's length from his.

"Y-you're Tiny aren't you?" she murmured. "Don't speak," she added, hurriedly. "You're scent's changed, but I know you're him," she breathed. "A mother never forgets her kits."

Scourge remained silent, part of him stunned, the other horrified at Quince's sudden revelation. His mother took a step closer, until their noses touched. A smile came to her lips and Scourge could see tears start to well in her eyes.

"I'd never thought I'd get to see you again!" she cried, overwhelmed with joy.

"Mother," he started, his tone not shifting the slightest from its usual calm collectedness. "What do you think of me now?" Quince did not respond. "Are you afraid of me?"

Quince shook her head. "You are my son. I would never fear you."

"But I kill a cat, mother," he replied, stalely. "I've killed many, many more than I can count. I know you can't see it, but you must be able to smell," he breathed, his muzzle, barely a paw's length from her ear. "The blood the soaks my fur, my claws. The blood these walls are bathed in."

"But I know you," Quince replied, her voice hardened. "I know the real you. Tiny, the darling kit I raised."

"But that's not my name," he murmured.

"Yes, it is," she insisted. "You will always be my Tiny."

"I am Scourge," Scourge growled, narrowing his eyes. "Leader of BloodClan. Unquestioned, unchallenged."

Quince shook her head furiously. "This is a false pelt you wear!" she declared. "I know it isn't who you really are!" She took a step closer, trying to brush her pelt against his tangled black fur, but Scourge pulled away, taking several steps back until he was out of his mother's reach.

"I'd like you to leave now," he demanded. "Before I do something I'd regret."

"You're Tiny," Quince said. "You're Tiny."

"Stop it."

"You're Tiny, you're Tiny!" Quince repeated.

"Stop saying that name!" Scourge roared, raising his tone for the first time.

There was a long silence, and Scourge realized his heart was racing. He quickly forced his fur flat and did his best to regain composure. He could hear Bone's paws heading down the alley, drawn to his outburst.

"When I was young, you were the only one who was always good to me," he whispered, his voice growing soft. "You were kind and never wronged me. You were a good mother."

Quince smiled. "And you were the most wonder kit a mother could hope for, Ti—"

Crimson splatters painted the ground under his paws as Scourge plunged his claws into his mother's throat.

"But I'm not your son anymore," he finished. He pulled his claws out from her fur and watched her body fall lifeless to the ground.

"Scourge?"

The BloodClan leader turned at the sound of his name. Bone stood several tail lengths away, his gaze focused on the she-cat's motionless body.

"I shall have one of the others remove that for you," he assured him. Scourge grunted his approval, and gestured for his deputy to continue.

"Coal and Beast are here, as per your earlier instructions," Bone announced. "Good," Scourge nodded, leaping to the top of the dumpster. "Bring them to me."

Bone dipped his head, but just as he prepared to go, Scourge stopped him.

"Bone," he murmured. "What will you say about what you witnessed here?"

"I witnessed something?" Bone replied, blankly. Scourge let out an almost amused sniff.

"Because you know what happens to those who aren't wanted," Scourge said. Bone nodded, his expression calm, as headed off to fetch their visitors, leaving Scourge to mutter quietly to himself.

"They get thrown in the river..."


End file.
